Highway 61: 150 miles of history along the North Shore

Minnesota turned 150 this year, and it just so happens that Minnesota's Highway 61 winds along the North Shore for 150 miles. Coincidence? Well, yes (actually, it's 152 miles). But the North Shore Scenic Drive should certainly be on your sesquicentennial agenda.

It should be noted that the North Shore drive is only a part of Highway 61, which actually runs from the Canadian border to New Orleans.

The North Shore portion is on the official Minnesota State Historical Society's MN150 - the list of "persons, places, things or events originating in Minnesota that have transformed our state, our country or the world."

The completion of the highway, back in the 1930s, certainly transformed the state. Doug Wilhide, whose nomination of Highway 61 is quoted on the MN150 website, writes, "It opened up the North Shore to tourism, making Minnesota a major destination for vacationers from throughout the Midwest and the rest of the country." Wilhide notes that it also connected Minnesota with Ontario, which gives it at least international significance.

It was a substantial feat of engineering, Wilhide points out. Hugging the shore meant going through, rather than around, some rocky peaks. The beautiful vistas that we see from the safety of our car windows were dangerous precipices for construction crews.

Even people who have never heard of the North Shore are familiar with "Highway 61 Revisited," Bob Dylan's first true rock and roll album. It contained the classic "Like a Rolling Stone" as well as the title track. The title suggests that Dylan was going back to his roots, but there's a deeper meaning, as well. Until 1991, Highway 61 was called U.S. Highway 61, which, as mentioned, ran from New Orleans to the Canadian border. Its southern stretch is known as the "Blues Highway," connecting the Mississippi Delta with Memphis. In naming his sixth album, Dylan was announcing his plans to take American music in a new direction - and he did.

All of that back story wouldn't be enough to make the drive worthwhile if Highway 61 weren't just plain beautiful. It's one of only 27 roads to be given the "All-American Road" designation by the U.S. Department of Transportation, meaning that it's been judged "nationally significant."

Driving on into Two Harbors, take a right on Sixth Street and head toward the lake. You'll see the tiny building that was the original headquarters of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company - now known as 3M. The Edna G. Tugboat, which served the port of Two Harbors from 1886 to 1981, is now permanently docked at the Marina.

About 17 miles north of Two Harbors is one of Minnesota's best-known landmarks, the Split Rock Lighthouse. Located atop a 132-foot cliff, the lighthouse sent a beacon 22 miles out into the lake.

It's impossible to grow tired of the Highway 61 shoreline. Arguably the most picturesque spot is in downtown Grand Marais, where Artist's Point draws professional painters and amateur shutterbugs alike.

Highway 61 ends at Grand Portage State Park.